German Pat. No. 26 31 58 describes a stapling apparatus in which products to be stapled are supplied by a transport system on rods, located on the transport system and spaced from each other. The rods engage into the folded back of the folded products to be stapled and are applied, horizontally, to a stapling station which includes stapling heads and counter staple deforming or folding elements or staple closers. The stapling apparatus of this type permits folded products to be stapled separately, sequentially. This, of course, is time consuming. German Pat. No. 19 49 769 describes a stapling apparatus in which the products to be stapled are supplied to a stapling station in saddle shape, that is, open towards the bottom.
If a plurality of stapling stations of this type are to be placed for essentially simultaneous stapling of a plurality of folded products, a large structure would result which, for simultaneous stapling of, for example, 30 or 50 folded products, would exceed the floor space which could, economically, be allotted thereto. Such vast structures would not be commercially acceptable.
Carrier structures which permit compact storage of folded elements are described in the referenced patent applications U.S. Ser. No. 060,764, filed June 10, 1987, KOBLER et al; U.S. Ser. No. 056,857, filed May 29, 1987, KOBLER et al; U.S. Ser. No. 056,787, filed May 29, 1987, PETERSEN. The carrier structures or, rather, the half-portions thereof are located on tracks and slidable thereon.